Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Energy and Climate Change: UK Withdrawal From EU

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential policy implications for his Department of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be responsible for helping to ensure that the economy grows strongly in all parts of the country, based on a robust industrial strategy. The Department will ensure the UK has secure energy supplies that are reliable, affordable and clean; encourage investment and innovation that fully utilises the UK science base; and enable a whole economy approach to deliver our climate change ambitions.The UK remains a member of the European Union and all existing rules still apply. The negotiations to leave the UK will be a long, complicated process and in the meantime, Departments will continue working to deliver the Government agenda.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Islamic State

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has classified the armed conflict with Daesh as international or non-international.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The United Kingdom is engaged in armed conflict against Daesh in Syria and Iraq which we have classified legally as non-international armed conflict, since Daesh is a non-State actor. We are however quite clear, as is the UN Security Council, that Daesh represent a threat to international peace and security.